


The Hidden Side

by Caramelquokka0325



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Blackmail, Complex relationships, Desperation, Detectives, Illegal Activities, Jisung Best Friend, Missing Persons, Mystery, Physical Abuse, Searching for Minho, Substance Abuse, Theft, Tracking, thought provoking, will add more tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:35:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26743000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caramelquokka0325/pseuds/Caramelquokka0325
Summary: When Minho disappeared, Jisung was left spinning without any sense of direction. He didn’t know what was worse. If Minho had disappeared on his own or if something far worse had happened to him.It was up to him to search for him. But would searching for him uncover secrets Jisung didn’t want to know about Minho? He was more of a mystery than Jisung had ever guessed.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 20





	1. Missing

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! Welcome to chapter 1! Before you start reading please READ THIS FIRST! This story is triggering in many ways so please pay attention to the warnings! I wrote this after rewatching my favorite crime show and Breaking Bad so if you are already thinking nope, feel free to hop onto another lighter story! 
> 
> I wrote this because I’ve been taking a law class and I thought it would be fun to delve into a mystery! So I wrote a mystery! We’ll see how it comes together within these 10 chapters! It would be awesome to get some engagement with this one! Let me know your thoughts, opinions, guesses!
> 
> TW: Substance Abuse (mentioned), Physical Abuse (mentioned), Illegal Activity, Theft

“When was the last time you saw Minho?” the police officer asked him gently.

Jisung stared at the wall over his shoulder. It didn’t feel right. Being questioned made it all real.

“Last Monday night.” Jisung responded. His voice sounded hollow, as if he had no soul.

“What were you doing that night when you saw him?” the officer laced his hands on the table and Jisung shifted his gaze to the movement.

“Just hanging out.” he whispered.

“Mind if I hop in?” another man tapped on the officer’s shoulder.

They switched and Jisung stared down at the table.

“Hey kid. I know this is all overwhelming, but I’m here to help.”

Jisung raised his head. Something in his tone was different. Determined and not as uncaring.

“My name’s Chan. I’m the detective for Minho.” the detective extended his hand to Jisung.

It felt better somehow. That he was a detective for Minho. Someone working to find him. Jisung shook his hand cautiously.

“Can you tell me a little bit about that night you saw him?” Chan asked.

Jisung nodded slowly.

_It was so dark, the moon almost completely faded. Only a sliver shone down on Jisung as he moved through the dark, stumbling a little bit. He climbed up the rusty stairs on the concrete formation that used to be a small factory._

_It had been laid to rubble a few years ago but it had become Jisung and Minho’s fortress._

_Jisung banged his shin on a pipe sticking out of the ground as he pulled himself up the the highest point. He cursed and rubbed the throbbing area._

_“So clumsy.”_

_Jisung raised his head to see Minho sitting with his back against the concrete boundary around the top of the structure. A familiar item in his hand. It made Jisung hesitate._

_“You promised you wouldn’t.” Jisung said angrily but his voice came out weak._

_“Leave it.” Minho scoffed. “I need it tonight.”_

_Jisung knew Minho smoked on the daily. Things worse than plain nicotine. Didn’t mean he wouldn’t express his dissatisfaction whenever Minho smoked. He hesitated, not sure if he should sit. He didn’t want to start an argument tonight._

_“What are you wearing?” Minho looked him up and down._

_“I couldn’t find my coat.” Jisung mumbled sheepishly. He was only in a light flannel and ripped jeans._

_Minho made a disapproving noise and brought his cigarette to his lips again. Jisung sat next to him, leaning his back against the wall._

_“Hyunjin was asking where you were again.” Minho informed him._

_“Oh… I missed school.” Jisung crossed his arms over his knees._

_“Tell him to stay away from me.” Minho’s voice was cold. Jisung’s heart sunk. Rarely was Minho in a dark mood, but tonight it seemed he was._

_“He didn’t know.” Jisung replied._

_“He will know if he doesn’t stop.” Minho blew smoke into the cold night air. “Don’t let it happen again.”_

_Jisung didn’t answer, just resting his chin on his arms. His heart was already heavy. He didn’t need Minho adding weight to it._

_Of course Minho knew it was one of his bad days though. He always knew._

_“You dummy.” he shook his head at Jisung but started to shrug off his jacket. He draped it over Jisung’s shoulders instead._

_“What was it this time?” he asked._

_“Just my dad.” Jisung wiggled a bit to be fully wrapped in the warmth of Minho’s jacket._

_“I told you not to listen to him.” Minho countered, immediately bothered. He was always bothered when Jisung’s dad wasn’t fair._

_Jisung turned his head to look at Minho, resting his cheek on his arms._

_“I know.” he said softly. “It’s just hard…”_

_Minho nodded; his face lit by the small smoldering tip of his cigarette._

_“Come to me instead.” he replied._

_Jisung traced over his features. He was like an angel made just for Jisung. A fallen angel. One who had lost his wings on the way down. But at least he was there. For Jisung._

“We were talking that night.” Jisung replied. “Just about whatever. Where we always meet.”

“Where is that?” Chan tilted his head. He didn’t write anything down, he seemed to internalize it well.

“The abandoned warehouse by the district line.” Jisung answered. “W-We go there sometimes to look at the stars.”

“I see.” Chan nodded. “Did anything seem off that night? Was anything out of the ordinary?”

Jisung stared back at the wall again. Was anything off? Wasn’t there always something worrisome when it came to Minho.

“No.” the words sat heavy on Jisung’s tongue. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Did you have any contact with him after that? Any phone calls? Texts?” Chan prompted further.

Jisung shook his head.

“Would it be alright if I looked at your phone?” Chan asked but Jisung had a feeling they could seize it forcefully if they wanted, not that it would have anything incriminating on it.

He hesitated but relented, sliding his hand into his pocket to fish it out. He slid it to Chan, a bit reluctantly, but Chan’s smile encouraged him.

“Thank you.” Chan laid the phone flat on the table so Jisung could watch what he was doing.

There were no messages between Minho and Jisung for a few days even before they met in person. Chan scrolled for a minute before stopping.

He turned the phone to face Jisung and watched him closely.

“What’s going on in this photo?”

Jisung’s mouth felt dry and his heart sunk abruptly. He should have deleted the photo. He should have gotten rid of the evidence it happened.

“This is you correct?” Chan pointed at the photo.

It was undeniably Jisung. He had the phone blocking his face partially but everything else was visible. Including his bare torso as he lifted his shirt up to his chest. A collection of bruises and scrapes blotted his abdomen and sides.

The texts were vague. Jisung had sent the photo and Minho had asked to meet him.

“What happened?” Chan asked. Still watching him closely.

“I…” Jisung was at a loss for what to say. “I fell down the stairs.”

Chan frowned and turned the phone back towards himself.

“That’s one of the oldest excuses in the book.” Chan reminded him. “I don’t think I’ll fall for that.”

He swiped through a collection of other photos before exiting and sliding his phone back to him.

“I’m afraid I need a real answer for that photo.” he persisted.

“I just got beat up by some kids at school.” Jisung mumbled.

It wasn’t the truth. He had suffered at the hands of someone far closer. Chan seemed to believe him. Sense his honesty or something.

“As the case progresses, I may want to ask you a few more questions.” Chan said. “It’s a process.”

“How long will he be missing?” Jisung didn’t like the word process.

“Until I find him.” Chan smiled but his gaze softened looking at Jisung. “The faster I can find him the better. If you could help me that would be appreciated.”

Jisung was nodding before he even realized it. And with that, it was over. He was ushered out of the station to where his father was waiting outside.

If Jisung could call him his father. The man who had taken him in for money. Jisung didn’t say a word as he climbed into the cab of his truck.

They didn’t say a word as they drove home. Nothing needed to be said. Or that’s what Jisung thought. When they pulled into the driveway at home he spoke up.

“Are you involved with anything I should know about?” he asked gruffly, not even looking at Jisung.

For some reason it stung. The implication stung.

“Nothing illegal.” Jisung replied flatly and got out of the car.

He didn’t speak to his mother as he headed straight to his room. They weren’t his real parents. They were just his foster parents. They didn’t care. They didn’t care that his life was crumbling around him. That his centering piece was gone.

He closed the door behind him, a familiar flash of anger running through him at the missing lock. He kicked off his shoes and fell onto his bed. His head hurt more when he lay down.

He lifted his phone and clicked onto his messages. He had four unread messages and six missed calls from the same number. He needed to respond but it was hard.

If he waited any later it would get harder and harder. He opened the messages first. It was Hyunjin. Asking where he was. Worrying over him. Even threatening to come to his house and confront him.

He quickly typed out a message, asking what he wanted.

Almost immediately his phone buzzed in his hands with an incoming call. He groaned but answered it. It was better to bite the bullet and get it over with.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” was the first thing Hyunjin hissed at him over the phone.

Jisung draped his arm over his eyes and pressed the phone to his ear.

“You’ve been missing for over a week!” Hyunjin said as if Jisung didn’t already know. “Do you know how many calls I’ve gotten asking about you?”

“I’ve been busy.” Jisung replied, his voice tired.

“Busy with what?” Hyunjin demanded to know. “Eight students have been contacting me in a panic! We’re this close to it all falling apart!”

“That’s not my fault!” Jisung shot back angrily.

“Yes, it is your fault!” Hyunjin didn’t back down. “You missed a week’s worth of assignments! That’s enough for their grades to drop and us to lose their trust!”

Jisung moved his arm and stared up at the ceiling. He felt like he was carrying the weight of the world at the moment.

“Check your inbox and get working on the new ones.” Hyunjin let out a long breath that turned to static over the phone. “There are some due tomorrow.”

“I need a day.” Jisung replied.

“You already missed so many days with no warning! What’s going on with you?” Hyunjin sounded angry again.

“Don’t speak like that to me.” Jisung said quietly. “It’s not fair.”

Hyunjin was silent for a moment.

“Can you have them done by Tuesday night?” Hyunjin asked. Jisung knew he was stretching it.

“I’ll try.” he replied. It was better than nothing.

Hyunjin hummed his agreement and ended the call. Jisung let the phone fall against the bed next to his head.

He had gotten himself into this mess. He had to drag himself out of it.

He hadn’t wanted to do it in the beginning. It was a twisted sense of desperation. He had started accepting requests from students to do their homework for them. All they had to do was hand over the cash.

Soon he found himself accepting three or four regular “clients”. That was how he met Hyunjin. He worked in the school management offices and offered to be Jisung’s middle man. It would be clean and untraceable that way.

Soon he had more clients than he could keep up with. They kept it manageable but now Jisung was in trouble again. He just couldn’t get caught by having everything fall apart.

He stayed up all night. Working until his vision couldn’t focus on the screen any longer. He handed them over to Hyunjin at school. The older nodded once and hastily shoved the assignments in his bag.

Jisung accepted his share of the money hidden in a pencil bag and headed on his way as if nothing had happened.

“Hey! Jisung!”

Jisung turned to see his friend jogging up to him.

“Hi Felix.” he nodded his head.

“I haven’t seen you around campus!” Felix said immediately. “Have you been sick?”

“Something like that.” Jisung shrugged.

“It’s been so crazy with midterms coming up.” Felix groaned. “Are you feeling confident?”

“Pretty confident.” Jisung winced. “I have some things to catch up on…”

“Want to study together on the weekend?” Felix asked.

“Sure.” Jisung loved studying with Felix. They were always more productive together than any of the other people they had studied with. Not that Jisung studied with any other people.

Felix was also one of the few people who didn’t mind him as he was. A little broken, a little hurt, but managing. But he didn’t know about Minho.

Well, he knew of him, but didn’t know he had been missing for a week.

Felix was a person who would never dream of setting a foot over into the dark side of society. He would be appalled if he knew that half of the homework Jisung did with him was for other people. But he didn’t need to know.

“Do you think I will be tested on this?” Felix slid his book over to Jisung.

They were sitting on the floor in Jisung’s room studying.

Jisung highlighted a few sections and returned the book. His greatest strength was his brain. He would use it to his advantage.

“In my law class we are learning about how to trace criminals using all kinds of methods when they disappear.” Felix commented.

Jisung raised his head at the last word.

“It’s so fascinating.” Felix lay back on the floor and held his book over his head.

“How do you find them?” Jisung asked.

“Well, it’s more of a detective or a police officer who does the finding, but there are all kinds of other ways to track someone down.” Felix replied. “Usually people are found with the help of people who know them best.”

Jisung tapped his pencil against his lips.

“I just thought it was cool…” Felix trailed off.

“Maybe I can…”

“What was that?” Felix asked.

“Oh nothing.” Jisung waved it away. “Let’s get back to studying.”

Felix’s words had given Jisung an idea. An idea that he had already considered but now wanted to pursue even more.

The next day, he went all the way across town. They lived in a fairly small town. It wasn’t the city but it wasn’t the country. It had the suburbs and then it had the side of town no one talked about. Kind of run down, dirty, where lots of crime happened.

Jisung rarely crossed into that territory unless he was with Minho. He guessed he was on his own so he would have to be careful.

Luckily, he knew where he was going. The more you looked like you knew what was going on, the less people bothered you.

He got to a building with floors stacked on top of each other, crammed in with the rest of the similar structures. On the bottom was a gym, and the top was lofts. Jisung was hit by a wave of heat and smell when he entered the gym. Gyms were just like that. That’s why the doors were flung open in an attempt to coax a breeze in to stir up the space.

Jisung felt a bit awkward walking in. Especially because everyone there was a bit rough around the edges. It wasn’t a gym like in the city. It was makeshift rings, faded punching bags and dusty floors.

“Hey!”

Jisung just about had a heart attack when someone grabbed his arm. He jumped and gasped, turning to see who it was.

Jeongin glanced back at him briefly before pulling him, none too gently, away from the entrance. He dragged Jisung all the way to the side “offices” before letting him go.

“What are you doing?” he asked, closing the door behind them.

“Um… standing?” Jisung was confused.

“No. What are you doing here?” Jeongin shook his head.

“I wanted to talk to Changbin.” Jisung frowned. Jeongin was acting strangely.

“He’ll be angry if he sees you here.” Jeongin informed him with a solemn expression.

“Why?” Jisung was thoroughly confused. “I’ve been here loads of times, a-and Changbin and I are…”

He hesitated to say friends, but at least they were acquaintances.

“Why are you here anyways?” Jeongin frowned. “I thought you ran away with Minho.”

“Ran away?” Jisung gaped at him. “Why would I… Did he run away?”

“Well you don’t see him around here, do you?” Jeongin spread his arms.

They were interrupted by the door opening. Jisung turned and froze.

“Jeongin I need you…”

Changbin trailed off when he noticed Jisung. He slipped inside and closed the door. Jisung felt frozen in his stern expression. Changbin had always been a little intimidating, but Jisung thought he wasn’t a bad person.

“He just came in- I-.” Jeongin tried to explain but then dropped his head, awkwardly leaving the room.

“Haven’t seen you in a little while.” Changbin pulled a chair closer to him and sat backwards on it, leaning his arms on the top.

Even though Jisung was standing, it felt intimidating.

“I-I came to talk to you.” Jisung stammered.

“I assumed you would at some point.” Changbin nodded.

Then he held out his hand. Jisung stared at the unclear gesture. What was he doing?

“Give me my money.” Changbin said calmly.

“Money?” Jisung’s mind was spinning. What was he talking about?

“Don’t try to play dumb.” Changbin smiled but it wasn’t full of warmth. “You had the guts, and the common sense, to come back to me. Now give it.”

“I don’t have any money.” Jisung whispered.

“Oh really… then why are you here? Why haven’t you been here in a while?” Changbin asked.

“I’m looking for Minho.” Jisung got straight to the point. “It’s been over a week that I haven’t seen him-.”

“I know exactly how long he’s been gone.” Changbin cut him off.

“I thought you might know where he went…” Jisung said softly.

“If I knew where he went, I wouldn’t get the police involved, would I?” Changbin tilted his head. Jisung felt stupid. Of course. Changbin had gone to the police so obviously he wouldn’t have a good lead on where he was.

“I just thought- my friend said- I was thinking that maybe we could figure out where he went with more information.” Jisung stumbled through what he had to say.

“When was the last time you saw him?” Changbin asked.

“Three days before he went missing.” Jisung replied.

Changbin scoffed and looked away, tapping his fingers on the chair.

“Here I thought he was trying to be noble and pull some running away together madness.” Changbin shook his head. “I thought he took the money for the two of you.”

“What money?” Jisung was still lost.

“The money I saved to get this place fixed up.” Changbin gestured around vaguely. “Minho stole it. All of it.”

“What?” Jisung couldn’t believe the words he was saying.

“He took every penny.” Changbin said stiffly.

Jisung stared at him. Minho would never steal from Changbin. He was his friend. More than a friend. He stayed in the lofts above Changbin’s gym. They were together more often than they were apart.

“I thought he took it so you two could get out of here.” Changbin bit his lip. “He always talked about that. Turns out he just wanted to get away himself.”

“How do you know he stole the money?” Jisung asked.

“He is the only one who knows where I keep it. Since I don’t trust the bank.” Changbin ran his hand over his face. “Next morning, he’s missing. It all adds up.”

“Minho would never steal from you.” Jisung shook his head. He couldn’t accept it.

“Minho isn’t who you think he is.” Changbin shot back, staring directly at him boldly. “He’s not the same as he was when we first met.”

“But he would never-.”

“He also owes me two months’ rent.” Changbin cut him off. “I’ve seen him get his paycheck. He chooses to go spend it on drugs instead.”

Jisung flinched but he knew it was true. Jisung used to spend time with Minho and the older boy would buy him a popsicle. Now Minho offered him a joint.

“He’s getting better. He’s not doing that so much anymore.” Jisung replied softly. “He promised he would ease out of it.”

“He’ll say anything for you.” Changbin shook his head and this time his expression was sad. “He’s gone Jisung. With my money. He won’t come back unless the police drag him back.”

Jisung sat down in the chair behind him. This was not what he had expected to be met with.

“Listen kid, he can’t have gone far.” Changbin said in a gentle tone. “When he does come back, I think it would be best to cut ties with him.”

“How can you?” Jisung asked, genuinely at a loss. Changbin and Minho were close. It didn’t seem to add up that Changbin had turned his back on Minho. Even if he had stolen the money, Changbin made it sound like they had started to have fissures in their relationship earlier on.

“Minho’s always balanced right on the edge, Jisung. There’s always a little part of me that worried he would tip one day.” Changbin replied. “He’s always prioritized you. It might be hardest for you to see it because he puts on his best for you.”

“I don’t know if I can believe...” Jisung said honestly. It was too hard to take in.

“I’m sorry.” Changbin sounded serious. “I thought something was up with you too. I didn’t mean to accuse you like that. You’ve always been a good kid.”

Changbin leaned forward

“You’ve always been a good kid, but you’ve been a little blind when it comes to Minho.” Changbin told him. “Maybe this is a wakeup call.”

“Maybe.” Jisung mumbled, looking down at his hands.

“Do you want me to come with you back to your neighborhood?” Changbin asked kindly.

“I’m fine.” Jisung declined. He needed space to think.

The trouble with thinking was that once Jisung started thinking, he couldn’t stop. Sometimes his mind was his biggest weakness. It could be his strength or his fault.

That night, it was his fault. He couldn’t focus on anything except what Changbin had said. He knew why Changbin thought he stole the money. He knew Minho and him had talked about needing it. But he never in a million years thought Minho would take it from Changbin. And run away with it all on his own? It didn’t make sense.

He stared up at his ceiling, laying on his bed, as he ran over it in his mind. Minho would never. It was all he could think. Over and over.

_“One day soon I’ll take you away from here.”_

_Minho had said it often. Yet every time Jisung felt thrilled all over again._

_“We need a lot more money to make it.” Jisung sighed._

_He had his head resting on Minho’s thigh, staring up at the stars. Minho was sitting with his legs stretched out, resting his weight on his hands._

_“We have time. We still have to wait until you turn eighteen.” Minho reminded him._

_He was right. He needed to be free of the foster system first._

_“It just sounds so nice.” Jisung smiled softly. “Getting to be on our own. Be free.”_

_Minho hummed in agreement._

_“I’ll work hard to save up money.” Jisung lifted his pinky to Minho._

_“I’m the one who’s older.” Minho flicked his forehead lightly. “I’ll be the one saving up for us.”_

If only Jisung had known then that money was harder to come by than it seemed. If only he had known the strain it started to put on Minho.

He blamed himself partially. He had seen the slow unravelling of Minho over time.

As if the day couldn’t get any worse, Chan showed up. The detective on Minho’s case.

Jisung’s father called him down to the living room where Chan was waiting. He smiled at Jisung. A spark of hope lit in his heart. Had Minho been found?

“Hi Jisung.” Chan greeted him. “Sorry to bother you in the evening like this. I was wondering if I could follow up on some things with you.”

Jisung nodded. What else did Chan want?

“Would you like to talk here or outside?” Chan gestured to the living room. His parents were there.

“Outside.” Jisung decided.

Once they were outside, Jisung asked a question first.

“How did you know to come to me?” he asked. “How did you know that I knew Minho?”

“When Minho was reported missing, we asked about anyone who might be related or close to him.” Chan explained. “One of the workers at his place of employment mentioned your name.”

It must have been Jeongin.

“It seems you were closer with him than I first thought.” Chan shoved his hands in his pockets. “Do you know a Seo Changbin?”

“I do.” Jisung confirmed.

“It seems you two were the closest to him.” Chan nodded. “Then I assume you know about the reason of concern Changbin had.”

Jisung nodded slowly. It made sense Chan hadn’t mentioned it the first time they had talked. But now he knew Jisung and Minho were close, it was important to address.

“Usually this doesn’t happen without a probable reason.” Chan continued. “Can you think of any reason why Minho would take the money and run, if that’s the case?”

“If it’s the case?” Jisung focused on the uncertainty.

“Nothing has been proven though we have more of a lean towards that being the case, based on Changbin’s report.” Chan clarified.

“He was friends with Changbin. He wouldn’t steal from his own friend.” Jisung told him.

He knew how it sounded. It was always the person you least expected.

“It does seem highly unlikely.” Chan nodded.

He dug in his pocket for a moment.

“We found this in searching his room a second time. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about it?” Chan handed over a small bag.

Inside was a necklace. It had a thin silver chain and a simple pendant at the end.

“I would usually pass over it as a personal item but it was hidden in a secret compartment in his desk.” Chan said.

Jisung held it in his hand with a heavy heart.

“Um… it’s mine.” Jisung said softly. “I asked him to hold it for me.”

“Ah…” Chan nodded. “Any idea why it would be hidden away like that?”

“It’s fairly expensive.” Jisung answered. “I asked him to hold it for me so my mom- I mean I didn’t want anyone to steal it.”

“It seems odd that if he was trying to get away with money that he would leave behind an item like that.” Chan thought out loud. “If anything, it would make sense he sold it.”

Jisung stayed silent. Minho wouldn’t sell this necklace. It was Jisung’s.

“If I’m entirely honest with you…” Chan said. “There seems to be a missing piece in all of this.”

“Missing piece?” Jisung asked.

“His motivation really isn’t clear. And the way he disappeared into thin air is highly unusual. There is always some trace, even if it ends in a dead end.” Chan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“He doesn’t have motivation to hurt Changbin. Or me.” Jisung said with wavering conviction.

“That leaves another option.” Chan let out a breath. “Is there anyone who has motivation to hurt him?”


	2. Hidden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! New POV in this one! Please bear with how wordy this chapter is! I had to set up a lot of backstory! And explain what is happening! But now the action will pick up! Please keep in mind the tags! Some which I will be adding!
> 
> TW: Blackmail, Abuse (Mentioned), Threatening

Hyunjin knew it was too late to still be at the school. The school guards would kick him out of the building soon. He just put his head down and kept going. It was better than being at home anyways.

His heart felt heavy as he gathered his things and slung his backpack over his shoulder. There were too many worries swirling in his mind.

He trudged through the dark wearily. The trees framing the walkways of the school threw harsh shadows over the grounds. It made Hyunjin feel a little uncomfortable though he was sure there wasn’t anyone lurking around out there.

He was wrong.

A hand grabbed his arm and covered his mouth simultaneously and dragged him back against the shadow of the building surprisingly fast. Hyunjin’s heart rate spiked before he recognized the familiar mint scent of the person abducting him in the dark.

“This wasn’t part of the plan!”

Hyunjin flinched as his back hit the wall and the shadowy figure in front of him hissed in his face. He glared at the boy looming in front of him.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Hyunjin bit his lip. He knew this confrontation was coming.

“I thought you needed incentive to complete the thirty days.” Hyunjin replied.

“There’s no way you can- Are you insane?” Hyunjin flinched again when a hand closed around his arm tightly.

“Are you trying to make it so I can never come back?”

Hyunjin stayed silent. He didn’t know what to say.

“You wouldn’t…”

“I would Minho.” Hyunjin tipped his chin up. “You won’t be losing much.”

“Don’t give me that!” Minho jabbed his finger none too gently into Hyunjin’s chest. “You stole that money to destroy everything I have!”

“I knew you wouldn’t listen if I didn’t force you!” Hyunjin shot back. “You always come back and ruin things!”

“I’ll stay away, damn it!” Minho snapped. “Just give the money back!”

“At the end of thirty days.” Hyunjin held his ground.

“I could turn you in for this.” Minho threatened him. “Blackmail is a serious crime.”

“Should I turn you in for dealing drugs?” Hyunjin shot back.

They were back where they always were, at each other’s throats. It was a vicious cycle. Hyunjin was just trying to end it but he knew there would be road blocks.

“First, you tell me to leave town for thirty days. Then you steal Changbin’s money to have power over me. What are you going to do next?” Minho seethed with anger.

“Nothing if you do what I say.” Hyunjin gripped the strap of his backpack tightly. “If you can do what I told you then I will return the money, with interest.”

“What about how I can never show my face again?” Minho demanded to know. “What about me being tracked by police for the rest of my life?”

“They’ll forget about you after the money is returned.” Hyunjin waved him away. “You always said you were moving away with Jisung as soon as you could.”

“Yeah, I’m not exactly parting peacefully with Jisung am I?” Minho snapped.

“Just thirty more days.” Hyunjin repeated. “That’s all you need to do.”

“Don’t think I will lie down and take this from you.” Minho warned him, his voice chilling. “Just wait until it comes back to bite you.”

“Oh we’ll see, won’t we?” Hyunjin adjusted his backpack and brushed past Minho to leave. Minho grabbed his arm tight enough for Hyunjin to bite his lip.

“Say hi to dad for me, won’t you?” Minho smiled with no warmth. “Tell him I just might see him soon.”

“You wish.” Hyunjin huffed back before wrenching his arm away and heading into the night.

He couldn’t deny talking to Minho had him shaken. He knew it was coming when he had chosen to take extra security. Minho was surely regretting letting the information of where Changbin kept his money slip when he was high.

Hyunjin couldn’t get rid of the itchy feeling under his skin as he rode the subway home. Even when he got home, he wanted to scratch his skin to claw it out of himself.

“You’re home late.”

Hyunjin nodded once towards his father. It was always an admonishment coming from him. He slipped his shoes off in the marble floor entryway. The mansion of a house felt like it was swallowing him.

“Dinner was already cleared away.” his father informed him without looking up from his book. “Don’t ask your mother to reheat it. Do it yourself.”

Hyunjin didn’t respond. He didn’t feel like eating anyways.

As soon as he got to his room upstairs, he threw his backpack on the bed and yanked at the tie around his neck. He ripped off his clothes with reckless abandon, starting the shower and running his hands through his hair multiple times to muss it.

He stood under the freezing cold water, trying to soothe the itch. At least it numbed his mind and body. He wanted to scream or punch something but he forced himself to hold it in. Like always.

When he got dressed in front of the mirror, he traced his fingertips over his arm. It was already starting to bruise where Minho had grabbed him. He had always bruised easily, even when he was young.

_“You know if you run away the police will just bring you back.” Minho told him from the doorway._

_Hyunjin frowned but shoved his favorite shirt and his plush bear into his backpack angrily. Minho didn’t understand. He thought he knew everything because he was thirteen. Hyunjin knew more than him easily._

_“I’ll hide.” Hyunjin replied. “Hide from you. Hide from mom. And dad. I don’t want to be here.”_

_“Okay, do what you want.” Minho shrugged and left._

_If only he had asked Hyunjin not to go. He would have stayed. In a heartbeat._

_Instead, Hyunjin set out with just a backpack, wandering around their neighborhood wanting his real family. The family that had never come back from a drive late at night._

_He was stuck with this new family. He hated it._

_His new dad picked him up before dinner. Hyunjin sat on the sidewalk and cried. He had tripped and his knees were bloody and scraped._

_His new dad just told him not to get blood on the seats of the car. Hyunjin had patched himself up back at home, sniffling back tears. He was the black sheep of the family. The piece that didn’t fit._

He lay on his bed after his hair was roughly towel dried. He didn’t mind sleeping with damp hair.

“Finally you’re home!”

Another warm body pressed up against Hyunjin, wrapping his arms around him. Hyunjin breathed in a familiar vanilla scent and let his muscles relax in the hold of the boy cuddling him.

“It was terrible! I had to go to a meeting that was three whole hours!”

Hyunjin laughed and patted the head of the boy.

“At least you got to skip school for it. You’re lucky Seungmin.” he replied.

“My brain hurts.” Seungmin groaned, rolling away from him.

“That’s what happens when you inherit the company.” Hyunjin poked his side.

“Not what I signed up for.” Seungmin grumbled, rubbing at the spot Hyunjin had poked.

Hyunjin hummed. It was nice to have Seungmin there. He was always an anchoring presence.

“Do you think they’ll find him soon?”

Hyunjin forced himself not to tense up.

“He’s probably just on a trip or something.” Seungmin said hopefully.

“Probably…” Hyunjin felt a hint of guilt but then pushed it away.

Seungmin was the youngest out of the three boys. Typically the oldest, Minho would take over as head of the company, but as Minho had proved unreliable, Seungmin was next up. Hyunjin was skipped over without a second glance. He wasn’t blood related.

“Dad said if he comes back then he’ll force him to take over.” Seungmin continued. “Can he do that?”

“Minho won’t-.” Hyunjin caught himself from saying he wouldn’t come back. “He won’t easily let dad force him into shape.”

He patted Seungmin’s back.

“You’re the best candidate for the position. Even if dad grumbles about it.” Hyunjin was putting it lightly. “Don’t let Minho get in your way.”

“It’s not like he’s in my way necessarily.” Seungmin mumbled.

Hyunjin let it slide. He knew Seungmin loved Minho as an older brother. He was naïve, but Hyunjin couldn’t blame him for having a soft heart.

_Hyunjin wandered through the house looking for Seungmin. He knew he was home but it was like he had vanished into thin air. He was starting to get frustrating of looking when he decided to check outside._

_Minho and Seungmin were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the porch steps. Hyunjin felt a little spike of jealousy. It’s what made him snap angrily at Minho._

_“You’re not allowed to smoke in the house.” Hyunjin said, frowning at the cigarette in his hand._

_“Well, I’m not in the house, am I?” Minho turned his head to look at him. He looked unimpressed._

_“You shouldn’t with Seungmin.” Hyunjin countered._

_“It’s okay. I don’t mind.” Seungmin shrugged._

_“Well I do.” Hyunjin walked over and held Seungmin’s arm, lifting him to his feet. “It’s not healthy.”_

_Minho rolled his eyes. Hyunjin thought he was terribly selfish._

_He was the one set up to inherit it all but he wanted to just throw it away. He was forced to listen to Minho argue with his father on the daily. Constantly there was the sound of shouting and slamming doors._

_Seungmin hated it the most. He would always come into Hyunjin’s room, trying to block out the faint noises._

_One night, Seungmin was the one receiving the brunt of the yelling. After dinner, Hyunjin paced the hall outside of his father’s office. Seungmin wasn’t saying a word, just receiving his harsh words meekly._

_It was Minho who came to his rescue, brushing past Hyunjin and opening the door without knocking. He’s the one who shouted for Seungmin to get out._

_Hyunjin was the one who pulled Seungmin out of the room but Minho defended him with his words._

_Later that night, Hyunjin watched Minho sit on the porch steps again, dimly lit by the outdoor light. He held a bag of ice to his cheek. Hyunjin watched him until he fell asleep in the windowsill._

Hyunjin shook Seungmin awake and brought him back to his bed.

Hyunjin was smart. He knew he would get scraps, if anything, from his adoptive family. He wanted Seungmin to have the company. He deserved it. He wanted it. Hyunjin didn’t mind fading into the background. As soon as Seungmin was set up, he could move on with his own life.

He returned to his room and fired up his laptop, checking his messages. Jisung had sent him some more completed assignments.

Hyunjin knew how the world worked. He needed money. And some of the most illegal past times provided the best time. He had Jisung. He was the brain. Hyunjin supplied him with the resources and they split the money. Well, thirty, seventy was more accurate.

If Hyunjin’s calculations were correct, he only needed one more year of working and he would be set. He had the perfect disguise. He worked as a tutor for students and funneled the money through his services pay. Money laundering was easy when you had the keys to the school tutoring logs.

Yet as easy as things seemed, he had one unknown variable.

Jisung.

He had dreaded Jisung getting nosy at some point.

“I have to talk to you about something important.” Jisung interrupted his tutoring session and dropped his backpack on the table a bit rudely. Luckily, the other student was leaving.

“What do you want?” Hyunjin shrugged off his rudeness

“You were also one of the last ones who saw Minho.” Jisung got straight to the point.

“Listen Jisung.” Hyunjin sighed. “I really don’t want to talk about this.”

“Well I don’t care.” Jisung tipped his chin up. “I want to know what happened when you talked last.”

“Why can’t you let the police deal with it?” Hyunjin frowned at him.

“Because.” Jisung replied simply. “I have a feeling there is more to this than I thought at first.”

“I don’t want anything to do with Minho.” Hyunjin replied. “I decided I would have nothing to do with him a long time ago.”

“Why do you two hate each other anyways?” Jisung demanded to know.

“Because he’s just-.” Hyunjin took a deep breath like he was trying to hold himself back. “Just don’t get me involved Jisung. I don’t want to know what he’s up to.”

“Well that’s not very decent is it?” Jisung frowned, obviously in a mood. “He’s missing! Do you even know what that means?”

“Do you even know anything about Minho?” Hyunjin snapped back, placing his hands on the table and pushing himself up.

“Yeah, a hell of a lot more than you do.” Jisung scoffed.

“Wrong. I know everything about him.” Hyunjin couldn’t help but shove it in his face. “I wish I knew nothing.”

“How can you know everything about him when you aren’t even friends with him?” Jisung looked confused.

Hyunjin didn’t share his personal information. Apparently neither did Minho. It was a bit strange knowing Jisung clung to Minho like a lost puppy yet Hyunjin worked with him. He set it aside. He needed Jisung.

“Doesn’t matter.” Hyunjin waved him aside. “I’m leaving.”

“Well… I’m not doing any more homework assignments until you tell me. It’s not even that hard.” Jisung took a stance.

“Whatever.” Hyunjin shrugged. “I can find someone else.”

“Good. You do that.” Jisung snapped, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. He turned his nose in the air and turned on his heel, stalking away.

Hyunjin was least bothered by Jisung. He was the one who knew the least. He couldn’t do much damage.

He was an unknown variable, but his volatility was predictable.

_“You’re working with my kid.” Minho commented flatly to Hyunjin._

_“Don’t call him that. Sounds sick.” Hyunjin adjusted his sleeves. He hated having to be around Minho during family gathering. His minty scent masking the substances running through his bloodstream._

_“Jisung is a kid.” Minho pressed. “Don’t get him in any trouble.”_

_“You think he would be in trouble? I would never let myself caught.” Hyunjin glared at him from the corner of his eye._

_“Just making sure.” Minho replied._

_“Don’t say anything stupid tonight.” Hyunjin had the guts to say. “Seungmin will get the brunt of it later and he’s my kid.”_

_Minho’s eyes narrowed and were ice cold._

_Hyunjin wasn’t sure when everything started to unravel between them. In the beginning Hyunjin had been a true firecracker, shooting off at anyone regardless of their intention. But then over time Minho he realized Minho was the same._

_When Hyunjin held his feelings inside, Minho disappeared, looking for the quickest drug to wipe his mind of his feelings. Sometimes Hyunjin hated him for it. Sometimes he felt sad for him._

Hyunjin had only broken in front of Minho once. He wasn’t in his right mind when he had come home and Seungmin had frozen, quite literally. He just stared at Minho with wide eyes. Hyunjin had lost it and force Minho out of the door, locking him out. Maybe that was the final straw.

Hyunjin knew he was dabbling in dangerous waters, but he didn’t know how dangerous until something far more dangerous came after him.

When a hand closed around his mouth and pulled him back into the shadows one night, he assumed it was Minho. Instead a man he had never seen loomed over it. Hyunjin’s blood ran cold.

“Don’t struggle kid and this will be easy.” The man ordered in a gravelly voice.

Hyunjin stayed frozen in the shadows, his escape blocked by the stranger.

“Two nights ago you were with Minho.” The stranger told him.

Hyunjin swallowed. Had the man been stalking them?

“Since then, he has conveniently disappeared again.” The man shifted his weight. “I need to find him and you’re going to help me.”

“I don’t know where he is.” Hyunjin whispered.

“Maybe I can jog your memory.” he stepped forward intimidatingly. “Minho owes my boss a good sum of money. If you keep your mouth shut, I can inflict that much damage on your body. But if you help me, you get to walk free.”

“I h-have no idea where he went.” Hyunjin stammered. “I-I’m innocent.”

“Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. You can’t back out now.” The man sneered. “You have three days to find him or I will make good on my promise.”

Hyunjin felt like he couldn’t breathe. He knew what a man like this was involved in. Collection. Minho surely owed him money for drugs. They were ruthless. They wouldn’t stop until they found him.

“If you need any warning not to go to the police, remember that we now have a trace on everything you and your family does.”

Hyunjin gripped his shirt in his fists in fear.

“If it’s easier, your father could surely hand over the money.” The man shrugged. “But either way, we’ll get our payment. It’s just may be at the expense of your well-being if you slow us down.”

The man dropped his hand heavily on Hyunjin’s shoulder, making him jump.

“This is me asking nicely.” he threatened. “We’ll see if you’re smart enough to listen this time.”

He left Hyunjin in shock. He crouched to the ground, clutching his chest. His heart was rabbiting in his chest painfully. He shook his head over and over.

Had he caused this? Had he set about this chain of events?

Even if he hadn’t, he was the one in trouble. He was the one who had to get himself out of it. He had to think.

He couldn’t reach Minho unless he came to him. He had blocked Hyunjin’s number and Hyunjin had no idea where he was hiding. He needed to somehow draw him back within three days. But how? What could bring him back?

Hyunjin slowly calmed his frantic breathing as an idea materialized in his head. There was one option. But it could easily backfire on him. He was an unknown variable after all. But he had no other ideas.

He pulled out his phone and shakily punched in a number. He pressed the phone to his ear while biting his nail. It picked up on the third ring.

“Jisung?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are we going to get the three of them working together now? o.o All of the characters will begin to be prominent as we go along! Also I barely prewrote this so I'm already almost out of prewritten content which makes me so stressed! But it's okay! I will still stick to schedule! LMK what you all think!


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